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49-9071.00 · Learning planner

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General: a task-based learning plan

Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of a building in repair. Duties may involve pipe fitting; HVAC maintenance; insulating; welding; machining; carpentry; repairing electrical or mechanical equipment; installing, aligning, and balancing new equipment; and repairing buildings, floors, or stairs.

Explore the complete task inventory first →

Understand the profile before choosing priorities

The table shows the ten highest importance ratings among 35 skills with usable ratings. Skills tied on importance can share a rank. Importance (1–5) and level (0–7) describe different dimensions. A level of 4 is not 4/7 of a course, and neither scale is your personal score. Source dates refer to the underlying rating, not the database release date.

SkillImportance / 5Level / 7Rating date
Equipment Maintenance3.883.8808/2021 · Analyst
Repairing3.883.8808/2021 · Analyst
Troubleshooting3.753.7508/2021 · Analyst
Critical Thinking3.253.1208/2021 · Analyst
Quality Control Analysis3.123.2508/2021 · Analyst
Active Learning3.123.1208/2021 · Analyst
Monitoring3.123.1208/2021 · Analyst
Operations Monitoring3.123.1208/2021 · Analyst
Operation and Control3.123.1208/2021 · Analyst
Complex Problem Solving3.123.0008/2021 · Analyst

Anchor the plan in an actual task

Choose one reported task you want to understand better. Then choose one to three skills and describe an appropriate learning activity, evidence you will review and a date. For practical work requiring authorization, choose relevant coursework, observation or supervised training.

Equipment Maintenance

Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 4: Clean moving parts in production machinery

Level 2: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light

What maintenance record or approved schedule would help you understand the task?

Repairing

Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 4: Replace a faulty hydraulic valve

Level 2: Tighten a screw to get a door to close properly

What fault evidence, authorized training and documented repair procedure would be needed?

Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 4: Identify the circuit causing an electrical system to fail

Level 2: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine

Which observations would distinguish two possible causes before changing anything?

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 4: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses

Level 2: Determine whether a subordinate has a good excuse for being late

What assumption could change your conclusion, and what evidence would you check first?

Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 4: Assess new parts for precision and accuracy to specifications

Level 2: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)

What is being checked, what defines a defect, and what evidence would be retained?

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 4: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements

Level 2: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities

What new information would change your approach, and how would you record the change?

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 4: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed

Level 2: Proofread and correct a letter

What result or exception would you inspect during the task, and when would you revisit it?

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 4: Monitor machine functions on an automated production line

Level 2: Monitor completion times while running a computer program

Which indicator would you observe, what is its expected range, and how would you record an exception?

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 4: Adjust the speed of assembly line equipment based on the product being assembled

Level 2: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper

Which authorized training and documented operating limits would you need to understand first?

Complex Problem Solving

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for maintenance and repair workers, general.

Level 2: Lay out tools to complete a job

Level 4: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques

How would you separate the problem into parts and compare possible explanations?

Review the result

Your plan should explain why the selected skills matter for your chosen task, what you will do next and what evidence you will examine. Revisit the plan after that activity. Completing a worksheet or matching an occupation’s ratings does not establish professional competence.

Keep your worksheet

Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.